a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic post-press apparatus and a working method thereof, and more particularly to a post-press apparatus and a method to accomplish hot foil stamping, die-cutting and blank separation in a single pass.
b) Description of the Prior Art
As rapid development of printing and packing industries, a demand in markets for a degree of automation of a post-printing processing apparatus is getting higher and higher. Pursuing a processing apparatus of high speed and precision to improve an efficiency of production, thereby taking up the markets, is the market demand and is also an inevitable trend of the development of the post-printing apparatus. A new post-printing processing apparatus was developed following the print and packaging industries' demand to become more competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace where increased labor and raw material costs erode the profitability of their companies. In order to address the situation, a unique new product was designed to improve production and reduce downtime, wherein an “added value” factor is redefined by creating a machine that applies multi processes, such as hot foil stamping, die cutting and blank separation in one pass.
For the die cutting machine with blank separation in the existing markets, only semi-finished products which have been hot foil stamped on other apparatuses can be performed with die-cutting, waste stripping, blank separation and waste conveying to achieve the (flat) carton blank. Obviously, this kind of machine is unable to fulfill the need of the markets that the (flat) carton blank are obtained in a single pass to accomplish the processing.
On the other hand, an existing multi-station die-cutting and hot foil stamping apparatus in the markets utilizes a multi-station die-cutting unit and a foil stamping and advance control unit to accomplish required multiple processes of hot foil stamping (or embossing) and die-cutting. However, after that, the multi-station die-cutting and hot foil stamping apparatus is only provided with a simple waste stripping function and is thus unable to accomplish bank separation. Besides, a sheet material after die-cutting cannot be distributed or be collected as carton blanks before an off-line blanking process, which is provided with a low efficiency and is easy to tear apart the carton blanks, thereby increasing non-conforming products. Apparently, this machine is unable to fulfill the need of the markets that the carton blanks are obtained in a single pass to accomplish the processing, either.
Accordingly, none of the existing technologies in the markets is able to meet the function that the carton blanks are obtained in a single pass on a same apparatus through hot foil stamping (once or twice), die-cutting, waste stripping, blank separation and waste conveying. The present invention provides an automatic post-press apparatus and a working method thereof to implement the aforementioned function, due to that the markets are imminently in need of a multi-station die-cutting and hot foil stamping apparatus with the blank separation function, in order to improve the efficiency of production.